MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

By Josephine Caffin

Short filmmaking is an art not so easily mastered by most. Similar to a 5-question exam, the filmmaker is being judged on very little, given few opportunities to send their message. In just ten minutes most likely without budget, Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan manage to depict the two largest political parties in the United States of America, raise general concerns with the adequacy of the police force and provide an exquisite quality of comic relief.

The film begins with one simple and very significant piece of information; the short film’s location in West Palm, Florida. From a grassy patch beside a highway, for minutes we observe the subjects in their blissfully unaware state of being. They take selfies, get a fly in their eye mid-selfie, they watch their Maltese defecate in the grass, and they exchange serious or vacant glances. We are watching Republican’s take selfies with the airplane that flew President Donald Trump to his vacation home in West Palm, Florida. What I appreciate is that before we are even certain of the political nature of this piece, we have made our unbiased opinions on the subjects being depicted. This technique was masterful in that it felt as though the audience was left to make up their own minds, despite the intentional framing of the subjects and composition the frames. This method not only depicted the Republicans as they are, but simultaneously, the outlook of Democrats.

Democrats who must lay low for the next three years, just observing the country’s leaders making their decisions with the same amount of oblivion to the environment. The movie continues with a wonderful array of expressions and special moments with dozens of different subjects from all ages. It does so from enough of a distance that the subjects remain candid – unknowing of their observers. The cops show up and order the site to be cleared from loiterers – cut to the police giving in to the throngs of people asking to take photos together and of them. Finally, the film ends with the camera being seized by an officer, despite the other photographs granted to those who shared the same political outlook. The elements of the short all tie together so naturally with the handheld style of cinematography by Bresnan.

During the Q&A post-screening, he admitted to being in-hiding during the shooting; behind palm trees and poles, all to capture that truth of character and the inner thoughts and feelings of the subjects. The footage was then edited into a delightful montage of many short takes and the occasional long take building up to a larger sample size of the simple-minded exchangers of meaningless glances and frowns. The comedic timing of the piece was strong, and the infrequent inclusion of clips containing relevant audio made them a unique highlight. These directors proved mastery over the art of subtlety in this brief example of the country’s current political oppositions.

Bresnan and Lucas did a fantastic job demonstrating the universal relevance of less being more. They said so much without a script, and simultaneously without sacrificing their opinions in their editing process. This feels like a new art form in the short film world, while also a continuation of a dry style of humor and cinematography I relate to the tv show The Office. I will be following up with these two directors to see what other magic they have in store. In a world in which everyone can broadcast their opinions, this short film proved that one doesn’t need to be so loud.